Tubbs Island

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Tubbs Island
A photograph of a field on an island.
Tubbs Island in March 2023.
Tubbs Island is located in San Francisco Bay Area
Tubbs Island
Tubbs Island
Tubbs Island is located in California
Tubbs Island
Tubbs Island
Tubbs Island is located in the United States
Tubbs Island
Tubbs Island
Geography
LocationNorthern California
Coordinates38°08′59″N 122°25′27″W / 38.14972°N 122.42417°W / 38.14972; -122.42417 (Tubbs Island)[1]
Adjacent toSan Pablo Bay
Highest elevation0 ft (0 m)[1]
Administration
United States
State California
CountySonoma
Tubbs Island as it appears on a 1951 USGS topographic map.
Aerial image of an island.
USGS aerial imagery of Tubbs Island from 2021
An aerial view, looking toward the west, of the Napa River where it flows into San Pablo Bay through Vallejo. Islands visible include, from bottom of image: Mare, No. 1, Knight, Russ, No. 2, Green, Bull, Edgerly, Coon, Little, and Tubbs.

Tubbs Island is an island in San Pablo Bay (an embayment of San Francisco Bay).[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] It is in Sonoma County, California, and parts of it are managed as part of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area.[18][19] Its coordinates are 38°08′59″N 122°25′27″W / 38.14972°N 122.42417°W / 38.14972; -122.42417 (Tubbs Island)[1], and the United States Geological Survey measured its elevation as 0 ft (0 m) in 1981.[1] It, long with Island No. 1, Island No. 2 and Green Island, are labeled on a 1902 USGS map of the area.[20]

Tubbs Island used to be home to a town of the same name, but now all that remains is a single outhouse visible from SR 37. The rest of the town is below the surface of the mud.[21][22] Following the disappearance of the town, Tubbs Island was used as a gunnery range and chemical weapons testing site. The government has since invested into multiple cleanups of the island, mainly of contaminated soil, sediment, and water.[23][24]

The point on the southwestern end of Tubbs Island is named "Midshipman Point". It was previously diked agricultural land, but has since been restored to marshland by Audubon California.[25][26][27]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Tubbs Island
  2. ^ California State Automobile Association (1999). San Francisco Bay Region (Map). 1:190,000. American Automobile Association.
  3. ^ "On the Hunt". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. September 26, 1883. p. 3.
  4. ^ "An Island Farm. One of the Curious Places in the County of Sonoma". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. June 15, 1890. p. 9.
  5. ^ "In the Matter of TUBBS ISLAND RECLAMATION DISTRICT". Santa Rosa Republican. Santa Rosa, California. May 6, 1922. p. 7.
  6. ^ "Delinquent Tax List". Santa Rosa Republican. Santa Rosa, California. July 22, 1933. p. 9.
  7. ^ "Bill Asks County Site For US Ammunition Depot". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California. June 14, 1957. p. 1.
  8. ^ "Petaluma, Sonoma Oppose Water District". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California. November 6, 1963. p. 9.
  9. ^ "Ship Collision Emphasizes Hazards Of Naval Weapons Station". Contra Costa Times. Walnut Creek, California. November 26, 1967. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Audubon Field Trip To Tubbs Island Preserve". Petaluma Argus-Courier. Petaluma, California. November 19, 1976. p. 6.
  11. ^ "Tubbs Island To Be Site Of Waste Experiment For Crops". Petaluma Argus-Courier. Petaluma, California. July 29, 1977. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Flora Enthusiasts Plan Two Visits To Reserves". Independent Coast Observer. Gualala, California. August 18, 1978. p. 4.
  13. ^ "Sludge". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California. April 27, 1984. p. 24.
  14. ^ "Community calendar". The Napa Valley Register. Napa, California. November 7, 1986. p. 21.
  15. ^ "Success secret". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California. September 28, 1987. p. 27.
  16. ^ "Marsh offers hunting, hiking, and boating opportunities". The Napa Valley Register. Napa, California. October 31, 2002. p. 17.
  17. ^ "To summit or not to summit". Sonoma West Times and News. Sebastopol, California. October 7, 2004. p. 17.
  18. ^ "Directional Map Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area". California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region. May 2019. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  19. ^ URS Corporation (May 2019). "Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area Land Management Plan". California Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  20. ^ Goode, R.U.; Fletcher, L.C. (1902), Topography, State of California: Woodward Island Quadrangle, United States Geological Survey
  21. ^ "Solved: The Mystery of the Lone Toilet | Bartell's Backroads". abc10.com. February 25, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  22. ^ "The Lone Toilet - Industry News - Magazine - Movin' Out". www.movinout.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  23. ^ "Bombs in Your Backyard: TUBBS ISLAND". ProPublica. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  24. ^ "Tubbs Island Air to Ground Gunnery Range". Military Museum. December 1945. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  25. ^ Petaluma Point Quadrangle, California (Map). 1:24,000. US Topo. U.S. Geological Survey. January 19, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  26. ^ Napa Quadrangle, California - 1902 (Map). 1:125,000. Topographic Sheet. U.S. Geological Survey. 1902. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "Lower Tubbs Island restoration". Audubon California. July 2, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2024.